Palma ratio in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Palma ratio was 2.49 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
2.49
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
11th
of 120 countries
All-time high
3.56
in 2002
All-time low
1.32
in 1986
Years of data
39
1981–2025

Palma ratio in Costa Rica, 1981–2025

012341981200320251981: 2.91986: 1.31989: 2.51990: 2.51991: 2.71992: 2.51993: 2.61994: 2.71995: 2.51996: 2.61997: 2.51998: 2.51999: 2.82000: 2.82001: 3.52002: 3.62003: 3.12004: 2.92005: 2.82006: 3.12007: 3.12008: 2.92009: 3.32010: 2.82011: 32012: 2.92013: 32014: 32015: 2.92016: 32017: 2.92018: 2.82019: 2.92020: 3.12021: 32022: 2.72023: 2.72024: 2.62025: 2.5

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for palma ratio in Costa Rica is 2.49, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 13.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palma ratio in Costa Rica peaked at 3.56 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.32, in 1986.

That places Costa Rica 11th out of 120 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2.24 1.32 2.89 3
1990s 2.6 2.48 2.81 10
2000s 3.11 2.78 3.56 10
2010s 2.92 2.84 3.03 10
2020s 2.74 2.49 3.05 6

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 8 Nicaragua 2.6 compare
  2. 9 Ecuador 2.57 compare
  3. 10 Honduras 2.55 compare
  4. 12 Guatemala 2.45 compare
  5. 13 Venezuela 2.4 compare
  6. 14 Paraguay 2.34 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is palma ratio in Costa Rica?
Palma ratio in Costa Rica was 2.49 in 2025, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest palma ratio recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 3.56 in 2002.
What is the lowest palma ratio recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 1.32 in 1986.
How does Costa Rica rank for palma ratio?
Costa Rica ranks 11th out of 120 countries with data for 2025.
Is palma ratio rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Palma ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Palma ratio
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

The Palma ratio is a measure of inequality that divides the share received by the richest 10% by the share of the poorest 40%. Higher values indicate higher inequality.